About Observant Engineering
OBSERVANT ENGINEERING provides consulting civil and geotechnical engineering services as a small, woman-owned business. We are focused on detailed project work, inspired problem solving, and attention tailored to client’s needs, including taking the time to transfer knowledge and lessons learned to improve your next project.
Philosophy: The world is facing pressing problems that affect the built environment that must be addressed faster than we may imagine. This means looking ahead and beyond past solutions or our current practices; for example, incorporating predicted conditions of climate change models in our standards and designs. The engineering profession has a unique potential to address these problems, to create a positive impact far beyond any one individual project. This potential inspired our founder Lauren Doyel to become an engineer, and drives her still. Observant Engineering’s practice is modeled on the way leaders in the field taught and mentored her, in the way she feels hews closest to our obligation as engineers.
OUR FOUNDER Lauren Doyel has 18 years of municipal and design experience and 15 years of forensic experience. Her unusual breadth of experience in forensic and design, onshore and nearshore, and West Coast and national exposure provides a unique project perspective. Her more than 30 years of work in the field include project planning, municipal services supporting community and public infrastructure development, onshore and offshore geotechnical investigation, and construction observation and testing. Her clients have included both public and private sector, and she has worked in both large and small project team settings.
Get in touch
We at Observant Engineering know that finding the right consultant for your project is a critical first step. That’s why we’ll take the time to discuss your vision and understand your needs. If we’re not the best fit, we’re prepared to connect you with one of our many partner firms.
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Engineers
owner/principal
Lauren J. Doyel, P.E., G.E.
Prior to founding Observant Engineering, Ms. Doyel worked for a variety of local and international consulting engineering firms. Ms. Doyel brings over 33 years of professional experience in geologic and geotechnical studies for land development, infrastructure, and construction projects in southern California, working in multi-disciplinary services including onshore and offshore geotechnical exploration, design and construction, municipal services in community development and public works, as well marine survey, construction, and forensics. She also has experience working on port and coastal sites nationally and within U.S. Territories.
She has performed forensic investigations and analysis of landslides, building structures and man-made embankment failures throughout her career for cities, insurers and private parties, including the Big Rock Mesa, Flying Triangle, and Love Creek landslides, the Linda Levee failure and the Potrero Canyon park slope stabilization project. More recently, she performed inspections and provided failure analysis for debris flows related to the fires and subsequent storms in southern California, including the Thomas, the Creek, the Skirball and the La Tuna fire, providing inspection and forensic reporting on over 50 properties affected by post-fire debris flows.
Education
M.S. CIVIL ENGINEERING (GEOTECHNICAL)
San Jose State University, 1998
B.S. ENVIRONMENTAL EARTH SCIENCES
Stanford University, 1984
Registrations + Certifications
• Geotechnical Engineer, California, GE#2981
• Professional Engineer (Civil), California, CE#61337
• HUET and Marine Safety, 2016
• Slope Inclinometer Interpretation and Data Reduction, 2001
• Hazardous Waste Management, UCSC Extension, 1988
Activities & Affiliations
• American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Member and Past President (Ventura-Santa Barbara, California)
• California Marine Navigation Conference (CMANC), Member
• International Association of Women (IAW), Member